i Net2

Wonders of  Fiber and Wireless Together

Friday, October 07, 2011

Using a Femtocell Canopy Alone to Offer Cellular Service

• Increased Capability as Demand Soars

• Shorter RF Distances = Lower Power for Same Capacity

•                 Extended Battery Life

•                 Reduced Health Risks

• Improved Appearance (Eliminate Big, UGLY Cell Towers)

• Minimizes Ridiculous Usage Caps (theirs LOW, ours HIGH)

• IF Fiber Fed, Convergence Will Deliver Wonders of FttH (& SMBs) as well as Wireless to ALL Devices (DISCLOSURE: I have an issued patent on one approach here.)

• Simplifies Service Delivery, No Conversion - Everything over IP (Video Broadcast, VoD, Internet & Audio, Fixed & Mobile)

• More Quickly and Easily Repaired in the Event of a Natural Disaster

• Lower Costs per Gigabyte as Retail Price Plummets

• Create a Company Culture of Innovation, Value and Respect for the Customer

I am obsessed to put it mildly with the idea of using FemtoCells to offer wireless services to consumers. What are the benefits of this technique? I have tried to list them above. Are there more?

What are the drawbacks? Biggest in my estimation is there is no unlicensed spectrum for LTE as there is for Wi-Fi to take advantage of this approach, and that will take FCC action. Not a windmill I will be tilting.

Also the incumbents have a huge investment in using towers and radio equipment for 2G and 3G. But 4G, especially LTE-Advanced, will require a new set of specifications and a new way of thinking, so perhaps it is time to consider this approach. I believe the benefits will outweigh the detractions while bring a huge bundle of advanced services to our customers. Agree?

What pitfalls do you see?